Farmers’ Telegram group in Kyrgyzstan
Online farming community connecting farmers, advisors and food consumers
Description
A Telegram group called Farmers (Фермерлер) has been established among smallholder livestock holders and crop producers in Kyrgyzstan, allowing them to connect and sell their products online. The group is an online peer-to-peer community that helps the members overcome the challenges of their remote locations and the country’s mountainous terrain. The app creator has also established a YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram profiles for the sharing of agricultural knowledge. The group provides smallholders with cost-effective marketing opportunities and the chance to exchange information and advice.
Technology
The group communicates primarily through the Telegram instant messaging app – an online chat app that allows real-time text transmission over the Internet or other computer networks. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties. When a user inputs text, the message is transmitted to the recipient(s), who are connected through a common network. Telegram can be run on Android, iOS, Windows, Windows Phone, macOS, Linux, Web platforms, Wear OS and WatchOS.
Target
The group is made up of farmers in Kyrgyzstan with an interest in sharing and gaining knowledge about farming practices, and who are looking to sell their products online. The technology can be downloaded easily and free of charge on smartphones, making it accessible also to all smallholder farmers throughout the country. The group has nearly 4000 members.
Business model
Downloading the software as a mobile or desktop app and joining the group are all free of charge. Business transactions, such as sales/purchases of agricultural inputs and outputs between users in the group are arranged between the parties as individual transactions, and according to preferences.
Impact
In Kyrgyzstan, the rural population in remote and mountainous regions in particular have turned to instant messaging groups like “Farmers” as valuable alternatives to traditional physical marketplaces. Although bazaars continue to be an integral part of the Central Asian culture, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in their influence, elevating the importance of digital platforms for the trade of goods. One member of the “Farmers” group in particular offered an explanation of the shift, claiming that he has relied on online marketplaces for the purchase of seeds and fertilizers for about a decade, and says that such platforms offer significant advantages to farmers who find it difficult to travel during the agricultural season. Given the time and cost associated with travel, especially to/from hard-to-reach areas, online marketplaces can be considered more efficient for purchases of vital inputs, providing savings in both resources and time during crucial agricultural periods.
Four Betters
Better production
Better life
